


Kiss and Makeup

by stuffandsundry



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Comedy, M/M, Slice of Life, set after fourth dungeon boss beaten but before deadline reached
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 16:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12112236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuffandsundry/pseuds/stuffandsundry
Summary: Yusuke wants to learn how to apply makeup, and Ann is clearly more than up to the challenge.Ryuji has no idea what he's gotten himself into.





	Kiss and Makeup

In retrospect, it started out as a normal summer day. Which, Ann would later comment, should have been their first warning, really. Every single member of the Phantom Thieves was a trouble magnet. Even Makoto. (Especially Makoto, Ryuji amends. She-Who-Tried-To-Fight-A-Yakuza-With-Her-Bare-Hands-Nah-Makoto-It-Sounds-Super-Badass-Trust-Me.)

Akira had ditched early, muttering something about… shogi? Churches? And _drug trials_? Weirdly cryptic and slightly concerning, but he’d promised that it was important and that he’d tell the team if he needed help with anything before running off. Yusuke was in his usual booth right across from Sayuri, idly sketching. Ryuji was half asleep and deeply regretting complaining about his expected exam grades within earshot of Makoto, who had arrived early to the café armed with Morgana’s body weight in notes and the bloody-minded determination of a straight-A student to help him prepare for next semester. He’d tried desperately to persuade her that exams were over, what’s done is done, oh god Ann save me she’s some kinda demon I swear. Ann pointed out that he didn’t have anything better to do since they were just waiting for Futaba to wake up and kick cyber-ass, and then she left for an all-day photo shoot. Truly, the deepest of betrayals.

A few hours later, they were breaking for lunch when the bell above the café door chimed softly. Makoto glanced over, while Ryuji and Yusuke remained single-mindedly focused on their respective plates of curry. A young woman with a really fancy updo and big, expensive-looking sunglasses on walked in and waved at the three of them, grinning widely—

“Ann?!”

At the sound of Makoto’s surprised exclamation, the other two looked up.

“Ah, Ann. You’re back. What a pleasant surprise,” Yusuke said.

Ryuji hastily swallowed and squinted at her. “The hell did you do to your hair? I mean. Not that it doesn’t look nice. Because it does! Look nice, it’s just. Uh. Not very _you_ , I guess?”

Ann sighed and rolled her eyes with a teasing smile. “Way to make a girl feel loved, guys. Model? Remember? Honestly, I leave my hair up _one time_ and suddenly none of you can recognize me. Wooooow.”

“In our defense, you said that you’d be out until four or five. We weren’t expecting you back at all.” Makoto retorted. She paused, and hastily added, “You do look fantastic, though, Ann.”

“Yeah, you look like a classy lady!” added Ryuji.

“…Implying that I don’t typically look classy? Jeez. Rude as hell, Ryuji. I’m totally hurt by that,” she teased. She squeezed in next to him at the booth and winced as she looked at the pages stacked haphazardly next to him on the seat. “Ooooh. How’s that going?”

Ryuji groaned and put his head in his hands. “I feel like I’ve been run over by that motorcycle of hers. I’m dead, man. I can’t do this anymore. Tell my mother I love her.”

“Aw, poor baby.” Ann reached over and gave him a one-armed hug, ruffling his hair with her other hand. She added, not unkindly, “It’ll get easier with practice, you know. Like a workout.”

Ryuji slouched downwards in his seat, out of Ann’s grasp and halfway under the table. “Hey. Hey. C’mon. How about we talk about anything that isn’t related to studying right now, literally anything uhhhhh _anyways_ why are you back so early, huh?”

Ann snorted at the blatantly obvious subject change, but she answered anyways. “My photo shoot got cancelled halfway through. The photographer this time was trying something experimental but it didn’t really pan out, so I’m going to have to go back for a more traditional shoot tomorrow.”

“Oh, ouch.” Makoto winced a bit. “Having all that work be tossed out like that must feel awful.”

“Ehhhhhh.” Ann waved her hand dismissively. “It happens. You just gotta deal.”

She brightened up. “On the other hand, the new issue of _Seventeen_ is out and guess who's on the front cover~"

"Mika." Ryuji answered immediately. Ann poked him hard in the side and he yelped.

"No, you dummy! I beat her out this time, ha!" She took a magazine out of her bag. "Wanna see?”

Makoto and Yusuke leaned over, while Ryuji came out from under the table.

"Oh, shit. Nice." Ryuji sounded impressed despite himself.

"Those wings are really quite nicely done, Ann. It's very pretty on you. Did you do them yourself?" Makoto looked at the cover consideringly, as Ann puffed up in pride.

"Ha, I wish. My stylist did them. Akiko-san is _so good_ with the more colorful palettes, honestly. I'm so lucky to have her! If I'd tried to do that on my own I would have looked like a clown."

Makoto nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, I see. I usually stick to neutral colors myself, honestly. Sis always said that bright colors were unprofessional…"

Ann gasped. "What? That's a load of bull! I bet you could totally pull off some glitter, or something smokey. Your eyes are so nice!"

Ryuji scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Dude, makeup is so crazy. How do you girls even do it?"

"Heheheh, want me to teach you?" Ann bumped his shoulder with her own.

"Wh— get real! Hell no!"

Makoto took on a lecturing tone, though the curve of her lips betrayed her. "Well. I wouldn't say no that fast, Ryuji. In my experience, concealer can be enormously useful—

“I do.” Yusuke cut into their conversation. Everyone looked in his direction, and he glanced up from where he had been staring intensely at the magazine. He clarifies, "If it's not too much trouble, Ann, I really would like to learn more about makeup from you."

Ann blinked. "Oh, uh, sure? I'm down. Why now, though?"

"…Why now? It's quite simple. Up until today, I don't believe that I have been considering makeup in and of itself as an art form. Certainly, I have had an appreciation for the way that it could be used to enhance or modify one's features… but this. This is something else entirely…!" Yusuke slammed his palms down on the table. “Clearly, I have been neglecting an entire medium of art, one with such obvious dedication to the pursuit of beauty that I am almost _loathe_ to admit that I have dismissed it before today.”

Ann blinked. “Uh, I mean-“

Yusuke grabbed her hand and leaned over the table with a single-minded intensity. “You are far more well versed in this world than I, Ann, so I beg of you— teach me about makeup!”

“Uh. I already said yes, Yusuke. I mean. I’m not _that_ good, honestly but yeah, I can definitely show you some of the basics?”

“Wonderful." Yusuke began packing up his notebooks strewn all over the café table. "Let us begin at once!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!” Ann waved her arms at Yusuke. “You mean, right now?”

He frowned. “Ah. Will there be a problem? I simply assumed that since your schedule was free right now, this would be the best time for both of us. The sooner the better, after all."

Ann looked at him in contemplation. "Hmmm. I don't know, I don't have any of my stuff… well, you are a beginner. We could just use 100 yen Daiso makeup, maybe? Yeah. Yeah, I could make that work. Ok, what else… It might be more useful for you to practice on someone else, because you're used to canvases? Sooooo..."

Ann turned to Ryuji, and a devilish smirk began to curl up her lips.

Ryuji paled. "Aw, hell no."

Ann pouted. "Aw, Ryuji. C'moooon. Don't you want to help out a friend?"

"I don't wanna get makeup all over my face! What if my mom sees?" Ryuji leaned away from Ann.

Ann rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, you big baby. I promise I have makeup removal wipes, and I will scrub your face clean, alright?"

"…Well, uh…. Why don't you ask Makoto, then?"

Makoto shook her head. "I'd rather not, thanks. I've got an appointment later tonight."

"See, Makoto's busy."

"Well, you know, I…" Ryuji scrambled for an excuse. "I'm, uh. I'm busy too!"

"Ha! Is that the best you could—"

Yusuke interrupted Ann and Ryuji's banter. "If you're truly busy, Ryuji, I would hate to keep you from prior commitments. However… I really would appreciate your help."

He looked at Ryuji with sincere intensity. Ryuji hesitated for a second. Ann smiled slyly and stage whispered to him. "Hey… If you come with us, you'll be done with studying for the day, too."

Ryuji's head hit his hands with a groan, and Ann grinned in sweet, sweet victory.

Behind the counter, Sojiro sighed. "Kids, do you have to use this café for your experiments?"

Makoto stood up immediately. "Oh! Sorry, Sakura-san, we'll get out of your hair immediately—"

Sojiro closed his eyes and smiled wryly. "…No. I suppose it's alright. Heavens knows that this place is dead around this time, anyways… Well, you're still responsible for cleaning up your mess, though. You kids got that?"

Ann flashed a thumbs-up at him carelessly, as she waved Yusuke out of the café ahead of her. "No worries, Boss! I got this!"

"…I'm doomed, aren't I." Ryuji said.

Makoto pointed at him with a rolled up sheet of paper. "If you are, it's entirely your own fault. Now give me my notes back, and we'll continue this tomorrow."

"…Meanie."

**Author's Note:**

> heeeeeey guess who, started another fic, instead of working on the one already u--SUPRISE!!! ITS ME!!! hahahaha frick.  
> ok i know ive said dont expect fast updates but like. actually dont expect fast updates on this one im no good at humor but i cant stay in my angst/drama comfort zone...! This is inspired by a posted i made on tumblr a while back somewhere about ann and yusuke bonding over makeup, so yeah. here u go, i hope u enjoy :D


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